Pearse Doherty

I move amendment No 1: In Schedule 2, inserted by paragraph (1), by the substitution of the following for the rows dated 25 March 2026 and 1 May 2026: " ".

-----that does not even come close to what is needed. And worse, the Government is now preparing to increase carbon tax on home heating oil in the space of four weeks while clawing back with one hand what it pretends to give with the other hand. Do not come in here and try to pretend that this is the Government simply helping the people because it is not. It is just going through the motions while…

Our amendment will deliver the maximum reduction on diesel, the same reduction on petrol and will remove completely excise duty for home heating oil - an oil that has nearly doubled in the space of four weeks and the Government plans to increase the tax on it in a couple of weeks' time. Real measures, immediate relief and action that matches the scale of this crisis because people cannot wait. The…

I understand an amendment has been tabled to this section.

Okay, that is fine. Well, it is not really fine but I accept the ruling.

I understand. The timeframes have been so tight, given the chaotic way the Government brought this forward, despite the fact it had four weeks to deal with this issue of support for workers and families in the middle of what was already a cost-of-living crisis. It is important to remember that, before the fuel crisis was brought on by the attacks in Iran and the impacts of the attacks Iran has lau…

Táimid i ngéarchéim costais bhreosla anois le trí seachtaine anuas agus ní a dhath déanta ag an Rialtas chun céim shoiléir a ghlacadh go fóill chun praghsanna a ísliú. Níl gníomh amháin déanta ag an Rialtas agus tá sé ag streachailt ón mbrú leanúnach ó Shinn Féin agus an reachtaíocht atá tugtha chun cinn againn. In ainneoin sin, níl a dhath déanta aige go fóill agus tá gnáthdhaoine ag fulaingt dá …

While the Government dithers, the prices double and what the Tánaiste said is cold comfort to people on the street - people who are going cold at this point in time because they cannot afford to heat their homes. I have put the prices on the record. The Tánaiste talks about waiting another week, into the fourth week of this crisis, and about how the Government will come up with something and maybe…

Over the last 48 hours, parents of leaving certificate and junior certificate students received letters telling them that the Government was bringing back examination fees. That will be a bill of over €100 for many families across the State. I cannot believe the Government is sending these letters out in a week when families are under so much pressure. It was the wrong decision in the budget, and …

Hear, hear.

Kneejerk?

The Minister should talk to the people.

Will the Minister meet them?

The Minister should answer. The families are looking in, and he is refusing to-----

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide emergency powers for the temporary reduction of mineral oil tax on certain fuels including home heating oil (kerosene used other than as a propellent), petrol and auto-diesel (heavy oil used as a propellent) and green diesel (marked gas oil) for the purpose of alleviating cost of living pressures; to provide for the exte…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I move: That Dáil Éireann: recognises that: — workers and families have been hit by an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis; — the Government have failed to act to end this rip-off, and get prices under control; — the turmoil in international energy markets, as a result of the unjustified attacks on Iran, is compounding an existing cost-of-living crisis, and risks causing severe hardship for man…

People must suck it up in the meantime.

Not at all.

We know about it.

We have been telling you for two weeks. In fairness to the Tánaiste, I am glad he recognises it is important now. That is fair enough.

I presume you are voting against it tonight.

There is a voice vote.

There is a voice vote.

On a point of order and with respect, maybe the Tánaiste is not aware of the legislation that I introduced-----